Protein Craze – What’s the Deal?

Why is protein showing up everywhere? It’s even in my pop-tarts.

Why is protein showing up everywhere? I go to the grocery store and my crackers now have protein. I just want normal crackers. Some are for the extra boost in protein while others, like myself, think that some products don’t need added protein.

An ingredient that has become extremely popular is cottage cheese. Fitness and health influencers have incorporated cottage cheese in pasta sauce, adding it to egg bites, and on its own. Companies have created protein-fortified chips, cookies and water which has the internet divided on what’s too much protein. If cottage cheese really needs to be added to all recipes for fitness, health, and weight-loss. 

Popular recipes online are blended cottage cheese pancakes, creamy alfredo sauce with cottage cheese, chicken, and protein pasta, and chocolate mousse with cottage cheese. Protein powder and flavoured protein powders are very popular for recipes with peanut butter. Protein-maxxing utilizes unconventional ingredients, such as nutritional yeast to add that cheesy flavour without the actual cheese, an ingredient utilized by vegetarians and vegans.   

Protein makes sense in these recipes

There are some recipes that make sense to add extra protein, such as an easy alfredo sauce made with cottage cheese that now has a very low chance of the dairy splitting due to heat. A peanut butter flavoured protein powder makes sense to be utilized in a peanut sauce which can be added to rice noodles which are low in carbs and easy to cook. 

Life can be very busy, making sense to add extra protein for more energy during the day. An alfredo pasta dish not holding much protein to a protein packed lunch with protein pasta and cottage cheese allows you to be full for longer. 

Flavoured protein powders are great for adding a flavour to a recipe.

weird snacks with protein

Protein water

A person is not deficient in protein to need protein in their water. Protein water is taking protein-maxxing too far. Too much protein can have a harmful impact on the body, effecting the kidneys and liver. Experts from the American Medical Association notes that a balanced diet is necessary to health, carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, rather than obsessing over a single part of your diet. 

Chicken breast chips

Protein chips use antibiotic-free chicken breast as the primary ingredient mixed with bone broth and egg whites instead of potatoes. It’s no longer potato chips. 

Protein Pop-Tarts

Just keep our comfort snacks for comfort.

Protein Ice Cream

I think this is the least offensive weird protein snack since yogurt is close to ice cream and both do naturally have protein. It would be the same if I took normal ice cream and added vanilla protein powder to the bowl. I don’t have a major issue with protein ice cream but it’s an odd snack on the shelf at the grocery store, being appealing to a niche, instead of the general public.

Nutritionists advise checking the nutrition labels as many of these engineered protein snacks are ultra-processed and hide high amounts of sodium, sugar, and/or synthetic additives.  

• cottage cheese
• food
• health
• protein
• protein powder